The Chief Challenge 2014

The staff of the Whistler Community Services Society hiked the Stawamus Chief in Squamish this morning, in support of Sea to Sky Community Services Centerpoint project. Hike the Chief as many times as you can in May 2014. Strengthen yourself, strengthen your community.

See more at: http://www.buildingopportunities.ca/chief-challenge

A call out for grandparents

Why am I recruiting grandparents? With all the benefits that Whistler offers as a community it lacks the generations of families living in the same town to be called on when a new family member is born. In the past few years, Whistler has experienced a baby boom and with many first time parents having extended families that live in other provinces or around the world there is a gap in intergenerational support. A natural part of being a new parent is experiencing uncertainty as you are learning about this little human who has just turned your world upside down. A senior who may have their own children and grandchildren is able to provide some perspective to parenthood and an extra set of experienced 'grandma or grandpa' hands for a new family is never turned down. 
Hopefully I have sparked your interest as Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) offers a program called Helping Hand that supports new parents who might need an extra help and we are looking for additional volunteers. What would a recruited Helping Hand Grandparent be doing? Some of the tasks that a volunteer may assist with are: preparing a simple nutritious meal for the family, helping around the house and playing with the newborn’s siblings. If there is an older child a walk around the neighborhood or to the park to play would be a great way to spend an hour. Watching the world through the eyes of a young child is magical. I recently learned how much fun watching a stick twirl in a puddle is for a 2 year old. My world slowed down in that moment. A quick trip to pick up groceries or mail could also make the difference to a new family since organizing and packing up a new baby can take longer than the simple errand for milk. Seniors in our community who are parents and grandparents can identify with how much laundry is created by babies, so helping do a load of laundry and putting it away could be one thing to help make a new parent feel less overwhelmed. If you are a ‘hands on’ kind of person, spending an hour in a rocking chair, cuddling a new baby may give mom a break to have a shower or cross a task off her long to do list. What's wonderful about this program is that volunteers have the flexibility to select a task if it fits their interest and schedule. This is excellent for those who are retired and looking to give back to the community without any set schedule. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge from their life experience and the challenges they may face on their own. You might be asking yourself “What's in it for me?” Supporting another member of our community brings feelings of purpose, an opportunity for fun, and the development of new relationships. An hour a week of volunteering can impact the life of the individual receiving the support so if you are interested in volunteering or are in need of support please contact Melissa at helpinghand@mywcss.org, 604-902-0865. WCSS will try to lend a Helping Hand.

Volunteers Support & Inspire

The impact that volunteers have at Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) is powerful and should be celebrated. Volunteers at WCSS provide energy and inspiration for staff and clients. There is also a significant, positive economic impact on our non-profit society that can be attributed to volunteer support.

The energy and inspiration can be found in many programs at WCSS where volunteer participation is prevalent. One example of this is at the Food Bank. Every Monday, Food Bank volunteers arrive early and start to unpack and shelve donations. There is a lovely buzz of energy as the volleys socialize while working. As one long term volunteer puts it, “Volunteering gets me out of the house and gives me purpose.  I like to interact with my fellow Whistlerites and lend hand.  It makes me feel good to know I can be helpful. Most of all I develop new friends and learn from others." Their energy is infectious and as an employee when you look around the room and see five individuals who have given up a portion of their day to assist people who don’t have enough to eat, you feel inspired to work that much harder.

Food Bank Volunteer collects cash and fresh produce at the
Whistler Farmer's Market

Volunteers’ actions can also have an inspiring impact on the people they help directly.  A recent client of WCSS who received volunteer support in the Helping Hand program wrote, "I would like to thank you for all your support and help you have given me in the last few months.  Before I had my injury I had no idea how much I might benefit from the Helping Hand program and other community services.  Everything, from you coming to my house and providing information on all services that were available to me and also talking to me about my injury and daily challenges, to finding volunteers that could get me to the swimming pool for rehab, to giving me a credit towards the cost of using the pool, it has all had such a positive impact on my life!  I also appreciate how the support is ongoing and how I get phone calls from you to follow up on how I am doing or to let me know about other forms of support I may be eligible for.  Living in Whistler as a family with two young kids and no other family around to help can be overwhelming, especially when you get injured and only have one income.  It is so good to know that, apart from friends, we have our community services out there, where there are people who really care and who will step in to help when you are feeling stuck or don't know where else to turn.  Thank you so much!  I am looking forward to being better and able to give back a little!” In fact, WCSS does see many people come back to be part of our volunteer team once they are in a place in their lives where they are able to be in a supportive role.

At WCSS, we track the number of hours that are given by volunteers. The tracking allows WCSS to have an understanding of how integral volunteer support is to being able to provide extensive social service programming for the Whistler community. Imagine Canada, with whom WCSS is accredited by uses a Volunteer Value Calculator to help quantify the economic impact that volunteers have on non-profit organizations.  WCSS acknowledges that the energy, generosity and knowledge that volunteers bring to our organization can’t be measured or counted easily.  However, it is useful to measure some aspects of contributions such as amount of time and economic impact. When plugging the number of hours volunteered last year (4680) into the Imagine Canada calculator, we get the following statistics: Volunteers at WCSS contributed the equivalent of $78, 120 in salaries, or 2.3 full-time year-round jobs. For every dollar WCSS invests in its volunteer program, we receive a return valued at $15.62 in unpaid volunteer activity. Just another reason to be thankful for our dedicated volunteers- WCSS would not be capable of running over 25 social service programs without ongoing volunteer support. 

If this blog has inspired you to contribute to the social sustainability of Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), please consider giving some time to the FoodBank, Helping Hand program, Re Use It Centre, Re Build It Centre, Peer Educator program, or fundraising events. Your time and energy will be appreciated by the entire community as you help to improve the quality of life for those in need of support.

Troutsmen Raise Money for WCSS Summer Camp Fund

Thank you to the Troutsmen International Club of Leisure for supporting Whistler Community Services Society's Summer Camp Fund. This year's Valentines Day party raised $1250.00, which will help send local, financially restricted youth to camp. The Troutsmen have been a valuable community partner and WCSS is grateful for their ongoing support.

 

 

 

55+ Snowshoeing FREE and a great way to get some fresh air and give your ski legs a break!

There is one critical requirement to run a successful snowshoe program, SNOW.  It has been a long time coming to Whistler this winter but over the last few weeks we have had plenty. The Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) snowshoe program has now been successful for the past 3 years with approximately 90 people participating each year.  Due to the winter parking restrictions the group has previously started out at Function Junction where a parking lot is cleared and many trail options exist.  This year though, the location became problematic with limited snow and some very uninviting icy paths.  A good friend reminds me time and time again that ‘safety never takes a vacation’ so it was decided at week 6 with no snow we needed to change the location to a space that would still provide a cleared parking lot but safer options for ‘winter walking’.  Sure enough or may that be fate; the moment I decide to change the location the snow begins to fall.  Our new location offers wonderful trails as well so we’re sticking with it until spring. The weekly Wednesday Snowshoe group for those 55+ is now meeting at the front door of Meadow Park Sports Center.  Anyone 55+ is welcome to join us, and absolutely no experience is required. Participants are required to bring their own equipment and one thing to determine is poles or no poles? I get asked this question quite a bit and from a safety standard, they do assist with balance and can be very handy if you are going up steep inclines.  If you don’t own any, try the Re Use It Centre for a pair of ski poles, any type will do the trick. It’s a personal preference though, so just think about what would feel the most comfortable.  Of course snowshoes are the essential piece of equipment. I have learned about a variety of different models of snowshoes, and while I’m not an expert feel free to ask me questions if you’re trying to but just encourage people to try on a few pairs before hitting the trails.  Also, after an experience of one lady losing a snowshoe mid walk, I have learned to ensure everyone is done up correctly before we start.  After the sign in and a quick welcome, it is time to get the snowshoes on and set off on our little adventure.  We all know that Whistler was built by people who wish to challenge themselves so those who wish to carry a faster pace naturally find themselves at the front of the group.  There are 2 people to lead the group though, so when the group splits there will always be a leader from WCSS.  So, if you are recovering from an injury or aren’t the fastest in the group, please don’t worry about being too slow, or tripping up, there will always be a group pace that best suits everyone. This is a one-hour time slot that goes by very fast as conversations get started and before you know it, we are turning around.  The group snowshoes from 9am-10am with the opportunity to go and continue conversations along with a coffee after our session.  Snowshoeing is low impact but can be quite tiring depending on how much snow you have to go though.  It is ideal to dress in layers as if you were going out cross-country skiing as you can work up a sweat.   "Snowshoeing is the best bang-for-your-buck, fat-burning workout in winter," according to Dr. Ray Browning of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado's Health Science Center and Vail Mountain Man champion. "It's an exceptional way to achieve cardiovascular fitness, expend energy and reduce your chance of heart disease; plus it's low cost, easily mastered and fun." This is a wonderful time to get some fresh air explore some different routes and look at the beautiful winter wonderland we live in.  For more information contact Melissa Deller, Senior Needs Action Planner (SNAP) 604-902-0865 snap@mywcss.org

Did you know:

55+ Snowshoeing

Wednesdays, 9-10am

Meet at front doors of Meadow Park Sports Center

No Snow? No problem.

Looking for fun things to do while we wait for the snow to fall? Here are some fun ideas on a budget while we wait for pow.

Community Kitchens
Fun interactive cooking class where participants learn how to prepare healthy, delicious meals on a budget. (Subsidies available if you are financially restricted, all inquiries are confidential). Contact Sara to book your spot foodbank@mywcss.org or 604 935 7717.

Feb. 3rd Traditional Chinese Cooking
Feb. 24th Raw Coconut Cream Pie
Mar. 1st Raw Dips and Spreads
Mar. 14th Baby's First Foods

Hockey 101
Are you 18-35? Thursday Jan 30th, 7:30-11pm skating + fondue + prizes! Coaches, skates, helmets and dinner provided. 10$ entry. call 604 935 8410 or go to www.lunawhistler.com for more details. 

Check out the Re Use It Center
Shop and get some great deals on everything from clothing to housewares. There are some serious treasures down there!

Community Workshops at the Re Build It Center
Feb. 8th 1-3pm- Wood Furniture and Cabinet repair
Feb 22nd 1-3pm Build Your Own Silverware Coat Rack

Sessions are 25$. Phone or visit store to book space.

AFOW Donates $17,000 to WCSS for Life Skills, Food Bank and Healthy Choices in Schools Programs

The American Friends of Whistler (AFOW) recently donated a total of $17,000 to be shared among three Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) programs; $5000 to the Food Bank, $5000 to the Support Network of Whistler (SNOW), and $7000 to Healthy Choices in Schools.  The generous support of the AFOW helps WCSS work toward their mission which is to “Provide programs and services that support social sustainability in Whistler”.
According to Gary Raymond, President of AFOW, “We continue to be impressed with the professionalism of WCSS as an organization and their continued focus on the true needs of Whistler residents.” WCSS reports that Outreach workers had a total of 1276 one-to-one meeting with clients looking for a safe confidential listening ear in 2012-13. Through these meetings, Outreach workers assessed people’s needs and made referrals to appropriate programs and services.  The needs vary, but healthy food and life skills are consistent areas in which people need assistance.
The $5000 for the Food Bank will go towards purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables for food bank users as well to support WCSS Outreach workers in leading hands-on cooking classes provided free to financially restricted participants. The informal lessons on nutrition and cooking using simple inexpensive ingredients will increase people’s knowledge of how to feed themselves on a tight budget.  A second program focused on life skills, the Support Network of Whistler (SNOW) received $5000 to provide participants with life coaching, yoga for mental health and a speaker series. All programs have space reserved for financially restricted participants first, but if not filled classes are open to the general public. The SNOW program is a support group which focuses on goal setting, budgeting, career building and stress management and is facilitated by a certified life coach. As an extension of the life skills program, WCSS is also planning a Spring Speakers Series led by local experts on topics such as effective communication, infant/toddler care and mental health awareness. The funding from the AFOW will also go towards ‘Finding the Balance Yoga’ program which exists to provide participants who may have mental health, physical trauma or addiction issues a way to increase their stress management skills.  Feedback from a past participant was extremely positive, “I recently suffered from a concussion and was having trouble dealing with my rehabilitation and I don’t have enough money to spend on extras like yoga. The instructor did a wonderful job of teaching me how to calm my mind and I really saw improvements in my overall health as yoga became an outlet.” The $7000 grant for the Healthy Choices in Schools program works towards enhancing the lives of Whistler residents, this time at a young age. WCSS provides Outreach Workers to local schools where they conduct age appropriate classes on: drug & alcohol education, bullying prevention, internet safety, minimizing risk taking behaviour, building self-esteem, and eating right for health.  WCSS also leads peer mentor training in elementary school for grade 7’s as well as in Whistler Secondary.The ongoing support from the American Friends of Whistler (AFOW) is essential to meet the needs of Whistler residents, and WCSS is grateful to have the opportunity to provide social services as a direct result of the grant.